Guymer Lawyers

Family Law

FAMILY LAW AND DE FACTO RELATIONSHIPS

We understand that family law is an emotional area, and sometimes brings out the worst in people.

Our team has particular experience in property settlements (including spousal maintenance and super splitting), children’s issues, divorce applications and binding financial agreements including pre and post nuptial agreements, as well as de facto matters and cohabitation agreements. We understand that some matters require delicate negotiation, whereas others are dealt with in a more aggressive approach.

It is interesting to note that only 5% of all family law matters are decided by a Judge, leaving the large majority of cases to be resolved by agreement between the parties. Your lawyer therefore forms an important part of the process leading to an agreement by informing their clients of their entitlements and negotiating on that client’s behalf – and that is our forte!

Our philosophy follows this trend, as we believe it is more empowering and often more liveable for our respective clients to make their own life-changing decisions – if the parties decide the outcome they are more likely to stick to it.

We presently act for many people intending to marry or commence cohabitation with another person, and require pre-nuptial agreements or cohabitation agreements. Australian Law currently permits couples who intend to marry to enter into binding financial agreements, which, if executed correctly, set out the distribution of property should the couple separate and preventing the Court having jurisdiction. Similarly, de facto or same sex couples are able to protect their interests through cohabitation agreements.